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Monday, March 24, 2014

This past week was a little bit stressful for reason... Sunday we were so excited because we were taking our investigator to our bishop's home for pranzo and they invited all of us to come. For some reason it was just a stress filled domenica. There was a lot of sassy remarks from our investigator which made us a little bit nervous and embarassed. We were nervous for our lesson with her yesterday.. I felt nauseous.. I never get nervous for teaching lessons anymore, but I for some reason I just felt completely sick to my stomach.. Basically it was the feeling of going on a first date or taking a test..But all is well now. The lesson went well and I feel a lot better. Tutto posto.

We are kindof struggling to find new investigators. We have two that meet with us regularily and that is all. We teach a lot of people on the tram, bus, streets, but none of them want to meet with us again. So we are trying to find people who want to meet with is, which has been a little bit of a struggle this week. Ah! I really just want to find someone who will let us teach them. Hopefully we will be able to find someone this next week.

It has been very warm here in Bergamo. It almost feels like summer here..no jacket, no tights, no scarf..It is a wonderful feeling.

Also we taught a nice man on the tram last week who asked if he could pray for us.. After he told us to go and talk to a woman on the tram..Then he started talking to the woman and told her that we wanted to talk to her. It was hilarious. Sorella Woods and I just started smiling as all of this happened. We started talking to the woman but she told us she had to get off at the next tram stop.. Awkward moments. They still happen everyday and I love it. ha

Sorella Woods. She is seriously wonderful and hilarious. We had a weird deja vu moment our first week together. We looked at eachother and just said to one another "You look very familiar..I feel like we knew eachother". Seriously we have so much fun together and are working hard here in Bergamo to find some new people to teach.

Tomorrow I am excited because we are going to Verona for Zone Conference! So we will see Presidente e Sorella Dibb and some of the other missionaries. It is going to be good!

Last week I started reading the Old Testament, which has been really good thus far. It has been making me think a lot about agency and the importance of having agency during our life. Although it is hard when other people decide to use their agency for bad things, I am grateful that we have this gift. It truly is for our growth and benefit because we learn from the choices that we make in this life. I am grateful to have this agency so that I can learn and grow.

I think this next week will be better and hopefully the stress will go away. Speriamo bene.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Last week on our way back from sanremo back to Bergamo we had a pretty cool little miracle happen. We were sitting on the train and all of the sudden an old Italian man comes and sits by us, but he left because he said that there was not enough space.. Then a young college aged girl comes sits by us. So Sorella Woods and I were talking to one another and I realized that we were speaking to eachother in english, so I asked the girl if she speaks english. So we come to find out that she is half Italian/half english, studying literature at università. We then were able to teach her the Restoration and gave her The Book of Mormon in Italian. We got her number but we had to leave, so I called her number really quick so that we wouldn't lose her phone number.

About a half hour later she texted us back and asked if we were the girls that she talked to on the train. She then told us that she is really interested in what we talked to her about and that she wants to learn more!!! We were so excited! So we gave the other sorelle her number that live in her area so that they can teach her! She is so ready to hear the gospel! Train miracles!

La festa della Donna is a wonderful holiday that they celebrate here in Italia. It is a day to celebrate woman. 8 di marzo was a glorious day indeed! It was such a fun sight to see woman holding a flower called mimosa that is a yellow flower. Woman had mimose in their hands, on the dash board of their cars...Mimose was everywhere. We got some gelato at our favorite gelatoria and it seriously was the best moment..It seemed as if it was off a movie. I had my gelato in one hand and the Italian man handed me mimosa for la festa della donna! Blessed be the day! I love this holiday. Later as we had the mimose in our hands an old Italian man past by and stops.. He turned towards us and said," Auguri donne!" Sorella Woods and I just looked at eachother and started giggling. We both felt very content in that moment. Oh how I love Italy!

One of our investigators came to church on Sunday again for her third time! We were so excited on sunday! One of the members invited her to pranzo next sunday and she freaked out, she was so excited. I love her so much. She is a little bit sassy and is so excited everytime we come and teach her. She shares what we teach her to her friends as well. She is great.

La prima vera è quasi qui! But really it is almost here. The weather is beautiful and the flowers are starting to bloom. Thhe leaves are starting to pop out of the branches. It is almost warm enough outside to not wear tights or winter coats! It is so close to spring. The daffodills are out.. It is beautiful. I think Sorella Woods probably gets annoyed at me because everytime I see a new flower or green leaf that is popping out I stop and show her..haha What can I say? I love spring and flowers. ha

The other day I was trying to figure out the bus system here in bergamo, but it is very confusing. So I asked the person to my right if they knew how it works. The man was a very nice man from India and he helped us figure the bus schedule but at the end he asked me, "Can I make friendship with you?" I was really confused and I just basically stated 3 Nephi 5:13 to him in my own words.. Yep I am still an awkward person. But it is okay. haha

We are going to Città Alta today! I am very excited! I love you all very much!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Well this we had a little suprise to say the least... We finished planning on friday nightand right as we were about to pray we see that President Dibb is calling. We both thought "That's funny..Why is he calling us right now?" So he told Sorella Roth that she would be getting space transfered on monday (even though transfers had already happened last week). He told her that she would be going to Siena to take place of a sorella that was having some heath problems...

Then it was my turn to talk to President Dibb on the phone.. He told me about my new companion and the I would be the senior companion!..haha No! Is what I was thinking in the back of my head! haha I have only been here in Bergamo for only a transfer...I was feeling a little bit stressed realizing that I don't know everything about the city. But as soon as I found out the news I felt such peace that everything would just work out and be okay.. and it has

We picked up my new companion in Milano Centrale....

Sorella Woods or as the Italians call her Sorella Boschi! I love her! We get along so well! SHe is really easy going, loves disney, loves having a good time, happy, she is a hard worker, she went to culinary school and is from Utah. She is wonderful! I love her already!

We picked up sorella Woods on Ryan's birthday! Happy Birthday ryan! Auguri ryan! haha It was a very happy transfer day indeed. We were able to see Sorella Baer who I lived with in Como for over 6 months with and she is now one of our sister training leaders...I love her so much!

Today we are in Sanremo for pday because Sorella Woods had to go to a cultural class for her permesso in the early morning tomorrow because sanremo was here first city in italy. I almost cried as I saw the ocean as we rode on the train through genova, savonna, and finally sanremo. It has almost been a full year since I have seen the ocean..It was glorious! Mi manca il mare!! It was the Mediterraneo sea too! Blessed be the day! I love sea gulls, felt the wind in my face. I missed the ocean soooo much!

We had a nice relaxing pday here and enjoyed looking at the beautiful view here. For some reason it is always perfect weather in sanremo. It was nice and warm. We didn't even have to wear are heavy coats for once in our life. I feel blessed to be in this great land! I love italy! I love my life. I love my new companion. I love Bergamo. Life is good.

I love Bergamo and all of the members here. I am so blessed to be in such a good ward in Bergamo. Seriously I am blessed! This week has been very good. Sorella Woods and I are already doing good work together. We have talked to a ton of people and were even able to have a lesson with someone on the train to sanremo.

It has been a good week. We are going to doing some good things together Sorella Woods and I!

I love you all.

love,

Sorella Rebecca Carter

ps gemma is the best gelateria...marscapone noci pere? who does that?! It was too good! hah

sorella roth's last sunday in bergamo.

the first is one of our investigators and the other two photos are members in the ward.

Ocean view on the train

Sanremo

sorelle di sanremo

My new companion sorella woods!

il mare.....it has been too long!

Russian church! where a tour gourp of french people started talking to us. One of them started talking to me after I said bonjour...haha That was all I could say to them. va bene

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

-Matthew 11:28-30

"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come."